Pencil-vending machine



' Dec; 31, 1929. s. D. LOWRY 1,742,039 I PENCIL VENDING MACHINE Filed April 28. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l l i I l I 30 0 J H z i Dec. 31, 1929. s. D. LOWRY PENCIL VENDING MACHFNE Filed April 28. 1927 3 Sheets-$heet 2 Dec. 31, 1929. s. D. LOWRY PENCIL VENDING MACHINE Filed April 28. 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. LOWRY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC PENCIL VENDING MACHINE CORPORATION, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PENCIL-VENDING MACHINE Application, filed April 28,

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines.

My invention has for one of its objects to improve the coin controlled mechanism of this vending machine to the end that said mechanism will, when the machine is empty, function to close the coin slot and thus prevent loss to prospective purchasers.

A further object of my invention is to improve the delivery mechanism of vending machines to the end that the ejecting dogs of such mechanism may be fixed to their shafts in a manner to prevent them from having any movement with respect to each other and with respect to the shafts.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the nature of which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the vending machine,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 2,

Figure 1, the ejecting dogs of the delivery mechanism being shown in article receiving position and the detents for locking the coin controlled mechanism in coin slot closing position being shown in inactive position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the ejecting dogs in article delivering position and the detents in active position,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1, the coin controlled mechanism being shown in inactive position,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 wlth the coin controlled mechanism in active position, and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 6 with the coin controlled mechanism in position to close the coin slot.

The machine is especially adapted for vending pencils and comprises a casing 1 which 1927. Serial No. 187,238.

is provided in the front wall 2 thereof with a vertically arranged coin slot 3 and a horizontally arranged delivery slot 4. A trough 5 for the reception of the delivered pencil is carried by the front wall 2 immediately below the delivery slot 4, and is provided with an opening 6 to permit the pencil to be readily grasped and removed therefrom.

The pencils are horizontally arranged in a hopper 7 the bottom wall of which consists of a front section 8 and a rear section 9. The bottom wall section 8 inclines downwardly and rearwardly and is fixed against movement to the casing 1. The bottom wall section 9 inclines downwardly and forward ly and is pivoted adjacent its upper end to the casing 1, as shown at 10. A rod 11 is fixed to the casing'l and constitutes a support for the lower free edge of the bottom wall section 9. The contiguous edges of the bottom wall sections 8 and 9 are arranged in vertically and horizontally spaced relation, and said edges are provided with downwardly extending flanges, 12 and 13, respectively, which provide a discharge passage 14 for the hopper 7. The discharge passage 14 extends downwardly from the hopper 7 and a plurality of pencils are adapted to be supported therein by the delivery mechanism. A downwardly and forwardly inclined plate 15 is arranged within the casin 1 below the hopper 7 and is adapted to dlrect the delivered pencil through the slot 4 and into the trough 5.

The delivery mechanism comprises ejecting dogs 16 which are mounted below the discharge passage 14 of the hopper 7 and upon which the lowermost pencil in said passage rests. The ejecting dogs 16 are mounted upon a shaft 17 journaled in the casing 1 and are provided with openings for the reception of the shaft. The ejecting dogs 16 are carried by the ends of a bar 18 which is positioned below the shaft 17 and is secured to said shaft by a machine screw 19. As the ejecting dogs 16 are carried by the bar 18, it is only necessary to employ one screw in order to secure them to the shaft 17 they may be readily placed on the shaft and are positively held against movement with respect to each other and with respect to the shaft. \Vhen the shaft 17 is rocked in one direction, the pencil resting thereon is delivered onto the plate which in turn delivers it through the slot 4 and into the trough 5. During this movement of the ejecting dogs 16, the cam portions 26 thereof travel across the discharge passage 14 and hold the remaining pencils in the hopper 7. The cam portions 20, during this movement of the ejecting dogs 16 and during the return of the ejecting dogs to their normal positions, contact with the lower edge of the flange 13 and vibrate the bottom wall section 9, with the result that the pencils are fed in proper position into the discharge passage 14. When the shaft 17 is released, it is rocked to return the ejecting dogs 16 to their normal positions by a spring 21 which is secured to the casing 1 and to the upper end of a lever 22. The lever 22 is pivoted to the casing 1, as shown at 23, and

as a pin and slot connection 24 with an arm 25 secured to the shaft 17. A pin 26 which is carried by the casing 1 and with which the lever 22 contacts, functions to limit the movement of the lever and associated parts under the influence of the spring 21. When the ejecting dogs 16 are returned to their normal position, the pencil travels out of its discharge passage 14 onto the same, and the machine is now ready to deliver another pencil.

The coin controlled mechanism for actuating the ejecting dogs 16 comprises the lever 22 and a lever 27. The lever 27 is pivoted above the lever 22, as at 28, and has a laterally offset arcuate extension 29 which passes a vertical slot 30 in the casing wall 2 and constitutes a handle. The lever 22 is pivoted adjacent its upper end and the lever 27 adjacent its lower end, and these levers normally occupy the positions shown in Figure 5. The lever 27 is held in this position by a spring 31 which is secured thereto and to the casing 1. The lever 22 is provided with a reurwardly directed lug 32 and the lever 27 with a downwardly directed lug 33. When the levers 22 and 27 are in normal position, the lug 33 contacts with the under side of the lug 32, and said lugs serve to limitthe distance that the lever 27 may be moved by its spring 31. A coin 34 inserted in the slot 3, comes to rest against the upper end of the lever 22 and a block 35 secured against the inner surface of the casing wall 2. An arcuate arm or extension 36 on the under side of the lever 27 contacts with the coin 34 and moves downwardly when the lever 27 is depressed. The consequent downward movement of the coin 34 rocks the lever 22 upwardly and rearwardly, and due to the connection between this lever and the shaft 17, the ejecting dogs 16 are actuated to deliver the pencil resting upon the same. After the coin'34 passes the lever 22, it enters a tray,

not shown, and the levers 22 and 27 and associated parts are returned to normal posltion by the springs 21 and 31, when the C118- charge passage 14 contains one or more pencils.

YVhen the parts are in normal position, the arm 36 on the lever 2? permits the coin 34 to be readily inserted in the slot 3. In order to permit this arm to be used for the purpose of closing the slot 3 immediately on the delivery of the last pencil, means are provided for preventing the return of the lever 27 to normal position after the delivery of the last pencil. This means comprises a detent or lever 37 pivoted as at 38 to one of the ejecting dogs 16 and provided with a hook 39 cooperating with a stop which is in the form of a rod 40 carried by the casing 1. The lever 37 is urged in the direction of locking engagement with the rod 40 by a spring 41, and when it is free to move in this direction its hook 39 passes through a slot 42 in the flange 13. The lever 37 is held against movement into locking engagement with the rod 40 whenever one or more pencils are in the discharge passage 14, and when this passage is free of pencils and the machine operated to deliver the last pencil resting upon the ejecting dogs 16, the lever 37 at a cam portion 37 rides on step 40, thus elevating lever 37 so that end 42 will close the delivery slot as shown in Figure 3. By movement of the lever 37 to this position, the levers 22 and 27 will engage and be held in the positions illustrated in Figure 7, the lever 37 holding the lever 22 in this position, and the lever 22 holding the lever 27 in this position by reason of the engagement of the lug 23 with the rear side of the lug 32. It will thus be seen that the lever 27 is held in position to close the coin slot 3 with its arm 36, and due thereto a coin cannot be placed in the machine and all possibility of loss by prospective purchasers avoided.

It should be understood that the drawings are merely illustrative and do not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawings are illustrative of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is 1. A vending machine provided with a discharge passage and a slot registering with the passage and closed by the articles in the passage, a delivery shaft, a stop, a detent connected to the shaft and adapted to enter the slot and having a portion to engage the stop on the delivery of the last article from the machine, the articles in the passage holding the detent out of engagement with the stop, and means for moving the detent into engagement With the stop on the delivery of the last article from the machine, the detent being 

